Can you imagine being Jonas Gray? After not being drafted and bouncing around three different NFL practice squads, he finally get his opportunity and did he ever make the most of it on Sunday Night Football as the Patriots (8-2) embarrassed the Colts (6-4) 42-20. Gray's 37 carries, 201 yards (after the stat correction) and four touchdowns (setting a franchise regular season record) resulted in him being on the cover of this week's Sports Illustrated and it also earned him the AFC Offensive Player of the Week award.
What can we expect from Gray in the last six regular season games and playoffs, starting with Sunday's meeting (1, Fox) vs. Lions (7-3) at Gillette Stadium? It's a cop out but who could reasonably answer that? Obviously, he won't be putting up 200-yard games every week but as long as he continues to churn out positive gains and hangs onto the ball, that's all the Pats need. With no Stevan Ridley for the rest of this campaign, Gray is the only other running back on New England's current roster that can consistently run inside between the tackles.
Ironically, the former Patriot that he most closely resembles in terms of size and running style-LeGarrette Blount-was released yesterday by the Steelers. It makes you wonder if the Pats would bring him back, remember he was on the cover of SI last winter as well after running for four touchdowns vs. Indy in the AFC Divisional game. I'm not a huge Blount fan, he is unquestionably a bozo but if Gray got hurt or struggled, Blount would be a suitable replacement plus he already knows the vaunted system.
This is all just talk radio/Twitter/interwebs fodder, for now we should enjoy this moment because who knows how much longer it will last for our guy Gray who once tried to be a stand-up comedian and even opened up for Dustin Diamond aka Screech from Saved By the Bell. Haha don't believe me? Look it up.
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